Dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, Meiji Shrine (Meiji Jingu), is located in an evergreen forest covering some 170 acres near the center of Tokyo. The Shinto shrine commemorates the emperor's role in the Meiji Restoration. Construction began in 1915 and was completed in 1920, eight years following the emperor’s death and six years after the passing of the empress. The shrine is one of Japan’s most popular, regularly attracting more than three million visitors for the first prayers of each new year alone.

Meiji Shrine, Tokyo

Three hundred and sixty-five species of trees were donated by people from all parts of Japan for the creation of the 170-acre park surrounding the shrine.

Sake barrels are offered every year by brewers from around the country to the enshrined deities of the emperor and empress. They are given in recognition of the emperor's role in the industrialization and modernization of Japan as well as in preserving its traditional culture.